The story
Rob, Sam, and Aimee founded Five Little Pigs after a successful crowdfunding campaign, blending hospitality experience from their existing venture, The Keep, to serve modern British cooking in Wallingford. The team chose a name inspired by a Victorian nursery rhyme and an Agatha Christie novel, paying tribute to the writer who resided nearby at Winterbrook House. This dedication to local roots has secured a spot in the Michelin Guide 2026 and a Good Food Guide commendation for community engagement. After a major renovation, the team opened doors that Jay Rayner described as a well-dressed, smart little bistro. The kitchen prioritises sustainable procurement, building relationships with independent growers and makers throughout South Oxfordshire.
The all-day menu structures dishes into smaller tapas-style plates and substantial mains, encouraging shared grazing across varied flavours like chalk stream trout fishcakes with pickled seaweed mayo or kohlrabi croquettes with coriander yoghurt. Hearty mains include pork belly with parsley salsa or rump steak with Cotswold Blue cheese and triple-cooked chips. West Country seafood brings whole Brixham plaice with clams and Cornish skate wing with blood-orange salsa to the table. Diners also receive bread from Lawlor's bakery in Henley-on-Thames, accompanied by house-made green butter.
Sundays centre around a Modern British roast featuring meats sourced from Calnan's Butchers in Watlington, finished with crisp potatoes and what the team calls the finest Yorkshire puddings south of the Humber. The owners also craft their own Wallingford gin, which anchors a drinks list that includes seasonal cocktails and English wines from Hundred Hills vineyard. Weekend mornings attract guests for a brunch spread offering spiced pumpkin pancakes and sugar-glazed bacon chops with fried bread. Orders can be completed with shots of wild garlic Bloody Mary, covering a day that stretches from early breakfast to late evening.
Recognition
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